XXIII Olympic Winter Games - PyeongChang 2018

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With opening ceremonies just over 9-months away, I figured why not start a discussion on the upcoming winter Olympic games hosted by Pyeongchang, South Korea.

As current tensions mount between North and South Korea, the biggest elephant in the room right now is whether or not these ugly affairs and potential threats will have any negative impact on the games. According to this recent article, there is little to no reason for worry:http://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/39744385

"Tensions between North and South Korea will not jeopardise the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, say organisers.

The situation between the two countries has become more strained amid concerns North Korea could be planning further missile or nuclear tests.

But Games officials have said they would welcome a team from North Korea if they become accredited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It will be the first Winter Olympic Games to be held in South Korea.

The president of the Korea Tourism Organisation, Chang Soo Jung, said the situation between the two countries "looks a little severe", but believes that the tension "will come down in the near future".

The vice president of the local organising committee, Hyungkoo Yeo added: "Many people are worried about the Korean situation but we have successfully completed the test event.

"We have had 28 test event games without any problem.

"The North Korean female ice hockey team participated in the test event, so I'd like to stress that it has been a peaceful and successful case of harmony between North Korea and South Korea," he told BBC Sport's Alex Capstick.

The United Nations Security Council convenes for a ministerial-level meeting in North Korea on Friday, to be chaired by the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

The 2018 Games will be held between 9 and 25 February and it is the third time Asia has held a Winter Olympics after Japan hosted both the 1972 Games in Sapporo and Nagano in 1998.

Pyeongchang will be split between the coast and the mountains, similarly to Sochi [2014 Winter Olympics host]. The coastal cluster will host curling, ice hockey, figure skating, short track and speed skating, while the mountain area will host skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge.

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-Traditional lighting in Greece scheduled for October 24th, 2017.
-Torch officially handed over to South Korea during a ceremony in Athens on October 31st.
-Torch to arrive in Incheon, South Korea on November 1st.
-Torch will then be carried on a 101-day journey that includes visits to 17 South Korean cities and provinces.
-7,500 torchbearers will carry the torch during the relay.
-2,018 "support runners" will assist in the torch's journey.
-"Let Everyone Shine" will be the slogan used during the relay.

"The 49-year-old was at the helm when the Americans won gold at the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship on home ice in Plymouth last month.

A 3-2 over-time victory over Canada saw the US win the global title for the fourth time in a row and Stauber has been tasked with winning a first women's Olympic ice hockey gold since Nagano in 1998.

"Robb knows what it takes to win at the highest levels of the game," said Jim Smith, President of USA Hockey.

"We're excited to have him lead our US women's national team up to and through the 2018 Olympic Winter Games."

Stauber was an assistant coach for the American team at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, where the country lost in the final to Canada.

The Canadians have won all four Olympic titles since the American victory in Nagano, where women's ice hockey debuted.

"It's a tremendous honour to represent USA Hockey and our country in this capacity," said Stauber, who has worked with the women's team since 2010 in various roles and played the sport professionally for a decade.

"It's a privilege I don't take lightly and, at the end of the day, our mission is very straightforward and that's to win the gold medal in Pyeongchang."

The US will play in the Four Nations Cup in November and other games will be arranged before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February.

Their team nearly didn't appear at the World Championship in Plymouth after players threatened a boycott over a pay dispute.

A "historic" deal was eventually agreed before the team went on to seal the title.

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Yep. There needs to be 4 permanent winter sites and 4 permanent summer sites scattered across the globe. The games should rotate between the sites. I'll still watch the 2018 games, anyway, as the games are always interesting and entertaining.

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The USA Luge Team has just opened up an online poll allowing fans to decide which helmet design the athletes will wear during luge events for the games. The two choices are: All-American Racer (top), and Stars, Stripes, and Liberty (bottom).

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The USA Luge Team has just opened up an online poll allowing fans to decide which helmet design the athletes will wear during luge events for the games. The two choices are: All-American Racer (top), and Stars, Stripes, and Liberty (bottom).

Well-Known Member

The USA Luge Team has just opened up an online poll allowing fans to decide which helmet design the athletes will wear during luge events for the games. The two choices are: All-American Racer (top), and Stars, Stripes, and Liberty (bottom).